Ironing machines, which also may be referred to as cylinder ironers or chest ironers, are commonly used for drying and ironing of sheets, towels and other items with relatively large surfaces. Ironing machines are foremost used in various professional applications, such as in hotels, laundries etc.
An ironing machine may comprise a cylinder, e.g. made of metal. The cylinder is rotatable around an axis of rotation via rotation means. The cylinder can also comprise heating means which can heat a periphery of the cylinder.
The ironing machine may further comprise ironing strips or similar. Such ironing strips can be arranged to press against the heated periphery of the cylinder and rotate with it. Items to be ironed and/or dried are fed in between the convex cylinder and concavely shaped ironing strips by the rotating movement of the cylinder.
When the item to be ironed follows the rotating movement of the cylinder, one side of the item is facing the ironing strips and the other side of the item is facing the cylinder. The ironing strips and the cylinder may be pushed together such that the item is pressed and retained between the ironing strips and the cylinder until the entire item has passed through a passage between the ironing strip and the cylinder.
Some cylinder ironers comprise a chest instead of ironing strips. Such chest can be made of metal and may comprise a concave side arranged to face the cylinder.
During passage between the cylinder and ironing strips the item is both dried and ironed due to the friction against the ironing strips/cylinder and due to the temperature of the cylinder. The temperature of the heated cylinder is normally about 200 degrees Celsius before the cylinder is used for ironing and/or drying of items.
The cylinder may be heated e.g. by electric elements arranged inside the cylinder, by a gas burner or by circulation of hot steam or fluid within channels of the cylinder.
A temperature of the cylinder may be controlled via a sensor. For example, EP1413665A1 discloses an ironing machine in which a controller can control operating parameters based on input from a sensor arranged to detect a temperature of a cylinder.
Known ironing machines, such as the ironing machine disclosed in EP1413665A1, may be suitable in some applications. However, there remains a need for an ironing machine which is reliable and efficient with regards to temperature control, safety and maintenance.